Senate Passes Five Funding Bills, Strips Out DHS Bill to Ensure Negotiations Proceed to Rein in ICE and CBP

Washington, D.C. - Today, in a 71-29 vote, the Senate passed five more fiscal year 2026 appropriations bills: the Defense; Financial Services and General Government; Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies; National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs; and Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies appropriations bills. The amended package strips the Homeland Security bill out of the six-bill package sent over by the House last week and starts a two-week clock to renegotiate the bill.

"Today, the Senate voted to pass five funding bills that invest in working families and reject President Trump's catastrophic cuts-while splitting off the DHS funding bill and forcing Congress to take action to rein in ICE and CBP," said Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee. "I said we'd put President Trump's budget in the shredder, and that is exactly what Congress has done. President Trump fought to gut funding for cancer research, kick millions out of their homes, and slash investments in students across America-but Democrats fought back, so these bills do nothing of the sort. Because Democrats were at the table, we protected public education, affordable housing, and so many programs that working people count on every day. Importantly, passing these bills reasserts Congress' power over spending and means that President Trump and his cabinet secretaries will no longer have the legal authority to unilaterally defund programs to fund their own priorities-or to pick and choose what projects get funding. There's more work ahead to get these bills signed into law and to rein in Kristi Noem's out-of-control Department of Homeland Security. If Republicans want Democratic votes for a Homeland Security funding bill, they need to work with us to rein in these rogue agencies."

Text of the amended funding package will be available HERE.

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DEFENSE

"We are living through a dangerous moment, as our adversaries increasingly collaborate, and we need more than ever to strengthen our ties with our allies. We recognize that in the Senate, which is why this bill invests in next-generation weapons and munitions to deter Russia and China. It strengthens ties with partners and allies like Ukraine, NATO members, the Philippines, Australia, and Taiwan," said Chris Coons (D-DE), Ranking Member of the Defense Subcommittee. "It also supports the service members, civilians, and their families who sacrifice so much to keep us safe by raising their salaries, adding more funding for child care, and funding new medical research programs. I am glad the Senate has passed this bill, and I urge the president to sign it as soon as possible so our service members can stop worrying about their pay and equipment and remain focused on keeping us safe."

A summary of the Defense bill is available HERE. The bill report is available HERE.

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FINANCIAL SERVICES AND GENERAL GOVERNMENT

"The federal government must work effectively for all Americans, and we must ensure taxpayers get a strong return on their investment. While I would like more resources to prevent tax avoidance by the wealthiest and increased transparency in the bill, it provides critical funds for election security, economic development, small business support, and needed increases for federal public defenders as well as court security," said Jack Reed (D-RI), Ranking Member of the Financial Services and General Government Subcommittee. "It also makes needed investments to protect American consumers, safeguard our democracy, support the agencies that work on behalf of the American people, and bolster national security."

A summary of the FSGG bill is available HERE. The bill report is available HERE.

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LABOR, HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, EDUCATION, AND RELATED AGENCIES

"This bill sends a clear message to President Trump that the American people do not want to cut funding for cancer research, our students and schools, or for tools to fight the opioid epidemic," said Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Ranking Member of the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Subcommittee. "Our bipartisan bill puts a check on the President and his continual habit of using the federal government like his slush fund to bankroll his pet projects while slashing programs families rely on. While this bill does not accomplish everything the people I work for are demanding, it will undoubtedly do good for American families. It will help ensure our schools are funded, people get the health care they need, and new cures and treatments for devastating diseases remain within reach. The House needs to pass this bill immediately and send it to the President's desk."

A summary of the LHHS bill is available HERE. The bill report is available HERE.

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STATE, FOREIGN OPERATIONS, AND RELATED PROGRAMS

"A year after President Trump began illegally and recklessly gutting American foreign assistance, this bill is proof that there remains broad, bipartisan support for critical investments that advance our national interests and promote our values. It preserves what's working and restores funding for a range of priorities, including U.S. engagement in the Indo-Pacific, global food security in partnership with American universities, economic growth and development, and global health. The bill also sustains our investments in our diplomatic workforce and rejects the president's efforts to retreat from multilateral institutions and shutter independent agencies like the U.S. Agency for International Development and the U.S. Agency for Global Media. Together, these investments will save lives, strengthen our alliances and partnerships around the world, rebuild American competitiveness, and make Americans safer at home," said Brian Schatz (D-HI), Ranking Member of the State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Subcommittee. "Nevertheless, I'm disappointed by some of the steep cuts to important programs. We can't do more with less when global instability is at an all-time high, and though we've enhanced transparency and oversight mechanisms and limited the flexibility that the administration abused over the last year, we should have gone further to counter the administration's attacks on effective, longstanding programs and partnerships. This is only a first, but important, step in rebuilding American foreign assistance. Now that the bill is one step closer to becoming law, I look forward to ensuring it is faithfully implemented as Secretary Rubio committed to this week."

A summary of the National Security-State bill is available HERE. The bill report is available HERE.

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TRANSPORTATION, HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT, AND RELATED AGENCIES

"Over the past year, the Trump administration has made repeated attempts to cut off federal support for vital infrastructure projects and housing programs, jeopardizing billions of dollars in funding for New York State alone," said Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Ranking Member of the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Subcommittee. "I am proud that the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development funding bill that the Senate passed today makes major investments in keeping Americans safe, both in transit and in their homes. This includes significant new funding for the Federal Aviation Administration to maintain the safety of our air traffic control system; full funding for Amtrak's Northeast Corridor and National Network; and critical support for important transit projects in New York. Amidst our nation's ongoing affordability crisis, the bill also invests heavily in increasing the supply of affordable housing to lower housing costs, rejects the president's irresponsible proposal to cut rental assistance for the over 10 million Americans who rely on HUD programs, increases funding for homeless assistance grants, and sustains targeted investments to support homeless veterans, youth, and survivors of domestic violence. I am encouraged that these initiatives had wide bipartisan support, and I will keep fighting to secure funding for our critical infrastructure, both in New York and across the country."

A summary of the THUD bill is available HERE. The bill report is available HERE.

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Throughout negotiations on the five funding bills, Democrats fought to protect the programs and investments that matter most to working families across the country. Among much else, the five-bill package:

• PROTECTS FAMILIES' FINANCES: Invests in programs people count on every day-and rejects President Trump and House Republicans' cruel cuts that would have taken money out of families' pockets.
  • PROTECTS PELL GRANTS: Rejects President Trump's push to cut the maximum Pell Grant by more than $1000 and protects the full $7,395 maximum grant.
  • KEEPS AMERICANS HOUSED: Rejects President Trump's plan to slash rental assistance and put over 10 million Americans at risk of losing their housing and ending up on the streets-and instead boosts funding for rental assistance to keep Americans housed.
  • PROTECTS ENERGY SAVINGS: Provides $20 million more for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program to help working-class families afford to heat and cool their homes.
  • BOOSTS CHILD CARE FUNDING: Invests $85 million more in the Child Care and Development Block Grant and $85 million more in Head Start to help families find and afford the child care and early education they need.
  • PROTECTS WORKERS' WALLETS: Rejects President Trump's push to significantly cut funding for key agencies that address wage theft, unsafe workplaces, and violations of workers' rights.
• BOOSTS NIH & MEDICAL RESEARCH FUNDING: Rejects President Trump's plan to slash NIH funding by 40% and instead invests $415 million more into NIH research to discover new, lifesaving treatments and cures. Prevents NIH from implementing OMB's directive to fund more multi-year research grants in one lump sum, which would have resulted in thousands fewer grants being awarded-and thousands fewer chances of discovering the next medical breakthrough.
• REJECTS TRUMP'S HEALTH CUTS: Rejects over $33 billion in proposed cuts to HHS.
  • REJECTS SUBSTANCE USE & MENTAL HEALTH CUTS: Rejects President Trump's proposed $1 billion cut to substance use and mental health funding-and instead provides additional resources to help communities tackle the opioid crisis and connect Americans to mental health services.
  • PROTECTS PUBLIC HEALTH FUNDING: Rejects President Trump's proposed 50% cut to CDC-instead sustaining essentially flat funding for the agency-and provides targeted funding increases for key pandemic preparedness programs.
  • INVESTS IN WOMEN'S HEALTH:Protects funding for Title X and the Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program, boosts funding for maternal health, and funds a new menopause initiative.
• INVESTS IN STUDENTS' FUTURES: Rejects $12 billion in proposed cuts at the Department of Education and instead strengthens investments in education while protecting key programs Trump sought to scrap.
• INVESTS IN TACKLING HOMELESSNESS: Delivers $4.4 billion for Homeless Assistance Grants-a $366 million increase over fiscal year 2025-to help communities across the country address homelessness.
• INVESTS IN MILITARY FAMILIES: Fully funds the 3.8% across-the-board pay raise for servicemembers, as well as the junior enlisted pay raise, and makes new investments to support military families.
• INVESTS IN AMERICA'S NATIONAL SECURITY: Rejects proposals to cut off investments in security partnerships with America's allies and delivers new funding to modernize our defenses.
• SUPPORTS SMALL BUSINESSES: Rejects President Trump's push to slash funding to invest in America's small businesses, instead providing $1.25 billion for the Small Business Administration and the grants and loans it provides to communities nationwide.
• INVESTS IN COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT: Rejects President Trump's proposal to slash funding for the Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) Fund by 59%, as well as House Republicans' proposed 15% cut-protecting current funding and ensuring adequate staffing levels to administer the Fund.
• SUPPORTS PUBLIC DEFENDERS: Provides a much-needed 22% increase in funding ($1.766 billion) for Federal Defenders to reimburse panel attorneys who make up 40% of the federal defender workforce and help protect Americans' Sixth Amendment right to counsel in criminal proceedings.
• REJECTS CATASTROPHIC FOREIGN ASSISTANCE CUTS: Rejects President Trump and House Republicans' most extreme cuts to investments in foreign assistance and America's global leadership. The bill provides $19 billion more in funding than President Trump's request-and $3.8 billion more than House Republicans' bill.
• REJECTS EXTREME REPUBLICAN RIDERS: Rejects all poison pill riders included in House Republicans' draft bills.
• REASSERTS CONGRESSIONAL CONTROL: Prevents President Trump and his cabinet secretaries from unilaterally deciding how to spend taxpayer dollars. Right now, the Trump administration has significantly more discretion to decide how to allocate federal funding thanks to Republicans' yearlong continuing resolution for fiscal year 2025, which failed to provide detailed funding directives for hundreds of programs and turned over decision-making power to the executive branch to fill in the gaps itself. These bills provide detailed directives about how funds are to be spent, and they strengthen key oversight, accountability, and transparency measures to help ensure that Congress-not the executive branch-decides how taxpayer dollars are spent.

***An online version of this release is available here***

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